Listen Now

This podcast clocks in at around 31 minutes. You can also listen to it on Apple Podcasts, stream on Google Podcasts, or Spotify or grab the RSS feed in your player of choice. Can't wait to keep you company! We can probably all agree that the last few months have brought a number of changes to our lives, new behaviors, cultural shifts, and sudden industry transformations to all of us. As a Transformation Leader at Knoll, a design firm that produces systems, furniture, and accessories for the office, Jenny West is accustomed to change. In "normal times," she helps Fortune 500 companies navigate change and shape their work environments. She integrates strategy, vision, and the latest trends in workplace design, employment, and workstyles. Perhaps, Jenny's name rings a bell or two. If you've been listening to The Nourishing Workplace since the start, you might remember her from our previous conversation (one of the most popular episode of the podcast), where we talked about how to design a human-centered workplace and bring cafeterias and ‘third places’ at the forefront of your company culture. During these past few months, Jenny has had her share of work in helping clients transition to remote work and design healthy experiences of work at home for their employees. “This remote interaction isn’t new. What's new is that everybody is doing it.”Jenny West Key Takeaways You’ll learn: How some existing work trends, like remote work, have fast-tracked as a result of COVID-19 and what this means for the workforce How she balances her work-life while homeschooling her two kids Jenny's top tips for making your home office more ergonomic and safe What a post-pandemic workplace might look like “It’s time for companies to take a pulse on their employees’ sense of ergonomics at home."Jenny West Useful Links Articles & Resources: Tips for a Healthy Work Experience Paper (Knoll) Noise at Work Report – Addressing Noise in the Open Plan (Knoll) What’s Mine is Yours is Ours Report – Planning for the New Experience-based Workspace (Knoll)

This pandemic has challenged the notion of work and the workplace as we know it. Was the pre-pandemic workplace ideal? In my opinion, it wasn’t. But hate it or love it, it was familiar and safe for many.  This podcast clocks in at around 26 minutes. You can also listen to it on iTunes, stream on Google Podcasts, or Spotify or grab the RSS feed in your player of choice. So grab a cup of tea, open your window to let some fresh air in, and let Antonio and I keep you company. Yet, much like the hospitality sector, which we deep-dived into last week, the design industry, in particular, that part that relies on the freelancer/gig economy, was deeply affected. "The model of our industry is essentially based on the premise that it only works when everything is fine," says today’s guest Antonio Iadarola. Antonio is a fellow Italian workplace designer, strategist, and researcher based in NYC who envisions work environments as meaningful platforms for organizations and communities. He's an Associate Professor in Design at Beijing Institute of Technology and the co-founder of Studio Wé, a practice focused on the co-design of work environments working on projects in the financial, startup, consumer goods, and public sectors. Gathering insights from 10 years as a co-design consultant, he’s also developing the Work-Design Framework, a design approach for organizations that integrates strategic, service, speculative, and spatial design thinking aimed at developing future-proof experiences of work processes and spaces. “I’ve heard from a lot of talented friends in the last two weeks that are all losing their jobs. They go from being fairly successful creative professionals to being in very difficult situations. The model of our industry is essentially based on the premise that it only works when everything is fine. I think that we’re not resilient, and I think that’s a moment when we can rethink this resiliency.”Antonio Iadarola Key Takeaways You'll learn: How the idea of co-design and collaboration is changing since we can’t gather in person anymore How to nurture the notion that the workplace = community when we are physically distancing ourselves from others Why this is an opportunity to pause and rethink the way the design industry works and build resiliency The role of designers in improving digital experiences The misconceptions about the work of work designers and creative professionals in general and what could change in the interaction with clients [mc4wp_form id="25727"] Wha

This unprecedented situation is putting a strain on all of our businesses, but some industries have been extremely hard hit. One is hospitality. This podcast clocks in at around 21 minutes. You can also listen to it on iTunes, stream on Google Podcasts, or Spotify or grab the RSS feed in your player of choice. So grab a cup of tea, open your window to let some fresh air in, and let Michael and I keep you company. Michael Tingsager has “coined” a refined term for this situation. He calls it a “shitstorm.”  But we all know that after the storm the sun will shine again. “Hospitality is going to come out on the other side of it and look very different,” he says. Michael is a leadership coach and trainer, a trusted advisor, keynote speaker, and the host of The Hospitality Mavericks Podcast. He’s also the founder of The Hospitality Mavericks and the co-founder with a fellow Dane of The Bear Kitchen, a healthy and planet-friendly office lunches and event catering company based in London.  Michael develops and grows hospitality and restaurant leaders to unleash their own and their cultures’ true potential to achieve impact and business results. He believes that we only can build businesses from the inside out––it's all about the people. You’re going to hear more about his philosophy and how he expects the hospitality sector to evolve in this new Homebound episode. “There are opportunities for food brands that really understand how to take a stand and actually talk about more than just be a restaurant. They’ll answer that it’s going to be less about profit and more about people. Those brands will thrive.” Michael Tingsager Key Takeaways You'll learn: Why Michael call this time a “shitstorm” and what important lessons he has learned as a leader What habits help Michael feel grounded every day in business and life Why hospitality was a struggling industry already and what is the secret for surviving and thriving in this unprecedented world What the new leadership paradigm is about and why it matters [mc4wp_form id="25727"] Useful Links Surviving the shit storm with Robin Ashton on The Hospitality Maverick Podcast The Fishlove campaign by

When I first connected with Cristina Covello about two months ago, none of us would imagine what storms would swamp our businesses. Both of us were busy cultivating a happy workforce through food in the office. This podcast clocks in at around 18 minutes. You can also listen to it on iTunes, stream on Google Podcasts, or Spotify or grab the RSS feed in your player of choice. So find a comfortable nook in your home and let Cristina and I keep you company. Today the power of food for connection has a different meaning. Cristina doesn't think that “the idea of the office is going to be dead by any means,” but it’s definitely going to change. And with that, also how people eat, dine, and interact with each other. In this episode, I chat with the Head of Strategic Growth at Fooditude, a contract catering company serving tech and media firms across London, Cristina Covello. In this special Homebound episode of The Nourishing Workplace, Cristina and I talk about what has changed for her both personally and professionally, how office food culture will develop, and how her company, Fooditude, is planning on doing to survive during this pandemic. “People’s habits will change: the way they eat, what they eat, when they eat, how they prepare food, what they perceive as safety to eat, how close they’re going to sit to other people at the dining table.”Cristina Covello How Fooditude Responded to COVID-19 With the outbreak of COVID-19 and people mandated to work from home, Fooditude suddenly had no business. However, a core team of people including Cristina has been working to figure out how to use the kitchen. If not to cook meals for office workers to serve food to other categories of the population.  Since the time of our interview, Fooditute has reopened the kitchen in central London, cooking meals for people in hospitals and feed those who are lonely, in self-isolation, or cannot access food for financial reasons. So far, they’ve served over 6,500 meals and have been tweeted by Jamie Oliver and Keith Lemon! (If you want to learn more or help Fooditude, you can find useful information here and here.) Key takeaways Here's what you'll learn: How her work has been affected by social distancing and how her company quickly pivoted to serve hospitals How to live with uncertainty and how to bring normalcy to everyday life––especially if you are new to remote work  Some of the ways in which the corporate catering industry will change How work-life might look

Are you a company HR, leader, or manager looking for ways to show up and support your colleagues and employees in this new way of working? This podcast clocks in at around 21 minutes. You can also listen to it on iTunes, stream on Google Podcasts, or Spotify or grab the RSS feed in your player of choice. So find a comfortable nook in your home or in your garden and let and Samantha and I keep you company. Then, this special Homebound episode of The Nourishing Workplace is for you. My guest today is Samantha Clarke. Samantha is a London-based happiness consultant, teacher, and author of Love it or Leave it- How to be Happy at work. I was excited to hear that Samantha was up for a conversation about this global pandemic. Not only because as a happiness consultant she's wired to think positively––and don't we all need an injection of positivity?––but also because I knew she had some insightful ideas for you to look into. As she says, “there is so much that we can find even in the anxiety and in the pain right now to use for growth, learning, and pivoting.”  Samantha's mission is to liberate individuals from work they no longer love and find a path to true work happiness, which to her means to work and live with real meaning, purpose, and intention.  Besides individuals, she also works with company HRs, leaders, and managers from companies like Nespresso, Dishoom, and Virgin to create initiatives that spurn better conversations around personal career growth, happiness, and wellbeing at work. Key Takeaways Here’s what you learn in this interview: Why it’s super important to look at happiness with a practical and substantial approach What types of conversation need to happen between employer and employee in this new way of working Samantha’s self-care routine and why self-care is paramount for serving others Why this moment offers an opportunity for both individuals and businesses to explore what it means to lead with purpose If you’re interested in culture but also in personal growth and self-care make sure to keep on listening. [mc4wp_form id="25727"] Useful Links Love it Leave it – How to be happy at work by Samantha Clarke My interview on Samantha's podcast

As COVID-19 puts us into lockdown at home, how do we move forward? What skills will businesses need in order to move into the brave new world that we face today? This podcast clocks in at around 20 minutes. You can also listen to it on iTunes, stream on Google Podcasts, or Spotify or grab the RSS feed in your player of choice. So find a comfortable nook in your home and let Nanon and I keep you company. How will we adapt to this global crisis? What do we need to do to emerge as better human beings? Is there anything to be optimistic about? And if so, what makes us hope for a brighter future? According to Nanon Soeters, despite the pain and anxiety that a global pandemic brings, there’re quick lessons to be learned. Many emerging trends, like technology, were already there but this pandemic is a turning point. In this conversation, which kicks off a new short series called Homebound featuring conversations with clients, readers, and colleagues, I chat with Dutch trend forecaster Nanon Soeters about the unique knowledge that her job equips her with, the quick changes she has noticed in the business world around her, and what unique opportunities technology brings. “Technology will be a driving force more than ever.”Nanon Soeters Nanon is a trend forecaster and partner at Picturing the Future, an umbrella brand that includes Rozenbrood, a trend forecasting consulting agency based in Amsterdam, the trend training academy Trendacademy, and TrendConnection, a platform for ‘trend matching’ where you can find trend presentations by topic. She’s deeply fascinated by how a society expresses its values through images. Over the years this has evolved to a fascination for any kind of visual expression that offers an input of the changing values and times to come.  Nanon and her colleague Djenny Brugmans have developed their own trend methods, helping clients plot the future of their companies and contributing to the growth of the field in the Netherlands. Key takeaways If you’re looking for a view into the future and to discover the latest societal trends this episode is a must-listen. Here’s what you learn: Why this pandemic was forecastable and what signs led Nanon and her colleague to predict it What Covid-19 is teaching us Why living with uncertainty now more than ever will be a given What restaurants should do once they'll be allowed to open again 3 great tips for small business owners to thrive in this economy What Nanon is optimistic about at this moment Why we should keep an eye on how technology develops [mc4wp_form id="25727"] What is Your Biggest Insight From This Conversation? Besides discovering

At some point, work became the antithesis of fun. Along with it, humor and laughter with wasting time or being frivolous and unprofessional. This podcast clocks in at around 38 minutes. You can also listen to it on iTunes, stream on Google Podcasts or Spotify or grab the RSS feed in your player of choice. So head out for a walk, or sit in the sun if you stay at home, and let Willy and I keep you company. Loneliness, isolation, disengagement, indifference. These are a reality for many people in the corporate world. Wouldn't it be great if there was one solution to all of them? According to Willy Kosovich, there is. The solution is comedy. Comedy is all about social relationships. Willy is a Kiwi comedian based in Berlin. After years of watching other people, he took the plunge and started doing stand-up in Germany. Why in Germany? "If you can make a German laugh, you must be doing something right, right?" he says. Willy (right) and his business partner Jim (left) Since getting on stage, he has learned a lot about himself through comedy. Now, together with his business partner Jim, he runs a company called Com4Com, where he teaches people how to write and perform jokes.  He has gathered much wisdom from working his way up the comedy ranks and from genuine experiences inside companies from all over Europe where people laughed, cried, yelled in anger, and reacted to a variety of acceptable and unacceptable humor. [mc4wp_form id="25727"] Willy says that there are many benefits to laughing and making jokes. It all goes down to fostering human connection. Isn't that great to know?  According to Cigna's 2020 Loneliness Index, the number of US citizens experiencing feelings of loneliness is on the rise. According to a multi-year EU research project, around 30 million European adults (7%) frequently feel lonely. Lonely people are often stigmatized. They are more likely to have poor health and reduced cognitive performance, mental issues, and pessimistic views. Willy has discovered that laughter is the best medicine––and pretty inexpensive, too––even to address such a sensitive topic like mental health. Together with London-based startup Sanctus, Willy's company has created That's Mental: A Mental Night of Comedy, a level, open platform to have conversations about mental well-being in a new way. "If you're more likely to laugh at other people, t

How will we be eating at work in this brand-new decade? This podcast clocks in at around 20 minutes. You can also listen to it on Apple Podcasts, stream on Google Podcasts or Spotify or grab the RSS feed in your player of choice. So head out for a walk and let me keep you company. What are the new trends that we should consider for our office? Is focusing on social spaces still relevant? And, what types of snacks or beverages shall we stock our office kitchen with as the workforce is becoming younger and more international? Those are some of the questions that my clients ask me often not only to be more relevant and meaningful but also to be able to respond promptly to the changing expectations and needs of their markets and consumers. Why it's essential to monitor market trends Whether you are a large organization looking to improve the employee experience or a brand providing corporate services and products like meal delivery or catering, being aware of trends will impact your business decision. On the one hand, you'll be able to better connect with your consumers or employees. On the other hand, gaining a better understanding of how these trends will impact the future of your business. Recently, I wrote a blog post with the five trends that will impact office company culture in 2020, which was well-received and sparked a discussion over social media. I'm revisiting it through this podcast episode with the addition of a few more insights that you'll be able to explore more in-depth in my upcoming trend report. [mc4wp_form id="25727"] Not only are those trends based on the knowledge I've amassed over the last 4 years working in this field, and much longer in the food industry, but also on the research, interviews, and conversations with key industry people, not least through this podcast. 7 Market Food Trends to Monitor in 2020: If you're short on time? Here are 7 market food trends: Eating at work is more than healthy eating Food will be considered more than just a benefit Independent corporate food teams will grow Food culture will entice a bigger conversation than ROI We'll embrace eating alone with pride, as a self-care act Sustainability across the board Cross-cultural cuisine Show Notes A shortlist of articles and resources mentioned in this episode plus further resources: 5 Eating at Work Trends to Watch Out for in 2020 and Beyond (WE Factory) The Importance of Nutrition and Wellness in the Workplace with Kate Cook mentioned in Trend 1 (ep06 of The Nourishing Workplace) How Airbnb Built a Unique Food Program with Airbnb's McKenzie Phelan – m

Today companies are applying the principles of good human-centered design not just to products but to processes and experiences. It’s not uncommon to hear that employee experiences are designed with a human-centered design approach. This podcast clocks in at around 29 minutes. You can also listen to it on Apple Podcasts, stream on Google Podcasts or Spotify or grab the RSS feed in your player of choice. So head out for a walk and let Justin and I keep you company. Human-centered design—a term used by the firm IDEO, a pioneer in the field—has been used to rethink everything from how you design your professional life to how your organization feeds you and your teammates. (does it ring any bell? It’s me!) The key principle is that instead of building systems that suit the needs of their businesses, they’re basing their designs around empathy for the customer––employee, in this case. The practice of empathic listening and observation help understand how your employee interacts with your products, your brand, and with the other employees, and to build an experience for them around their pain points, needs and wants––be they implicit or explicit. Human-Centered Design and the Advantage of Designers and Developers Today’s guest on the podcast is Justin Dauer. Justin is a Chicago-based designer, author of Cultivating a Creative Culture, a long-time friend of WE Factory (you might remember him from the Workplace Wisdom interview series), speaker, and the Vice President of Human-Centered Design and Development at bswift. As a perpetual student of human-centered design, observation, and creative process, Justin builds teams and cultivates cultures around the perspectives and skillsets we already use daily in our work: empathy, objectivity, and creativity. In the first edition of his book Cultivating a Creative Culture, Justin points out: "Designers and frontend developers have a unique advantage—being human-centered. That helps solve the cultural problems in business that are sucking the life out of us." [mc4wp_form id="25727"] To find out exactly what Justin means, tune into this episode. He explains what he means by this, talks about the connection between pausing, caring for each other and being creative, reflects on the role of metrics, gives a sneak peek into the forthcoming follow-up book Cultivating a Creative Culture (2nd edition).  "By being inclusive in our design approach and learning and discovering from human interactions, human-centered design fuels sales, innovation, and loyalty." Justin Dauer "Human-centered connection culturally supports this process as well by being equally inclusive in how we staff, how we hire, how we open our minds, and remove our personal biases."Jus

Does thinking of school or hospital food make you turn your nose up? No wonder! The consensus is that it’s terrible, lame, and far from providing the healing and nourishment it should. This podcast clocks in at around 48 minutes. You can also listen to it on iTunes, stream on Google Podcasts or Spotify or grab the RSS feed in your player of choice. So head out for a walk and let Joshna and I keep you company. No matter where you are in the world, you probably need to look high and low to find excellent examples of the food menus that are being served at hospitals, prisons, and schools, what we call institutional food. Changing institutional food This week on the podcast my guest is Joshna Maharaj, a mighty chef who has devoted her career to change institutional food. She has worked with a number of hospitals and universities in Toronto, Canada to build new models for institutional food procurement, production, and service. Joshna Maharaj Joshna Maharaj is not only an award-winning chef, but also a two-time TEDx speaker, food activist, and author who believes strongly in the power of chefs and social gastronomy to bring values of hospitality, sustainability, and social justice to the table. "My number one top priority is to remember that access to good quality food is a basic human right and that whatever of a new face of a food system that we try and build must be accessible to everybody and not just those who can afford it." — Joshna Maharaj Her first book Take Back The Tray, which will be out in the spring, shares a blueprint for changing institutional food systems around the globe. "The gift that cooks can offer to people is a beautiful plate of food."— Joshna Maharaj [mc4wp_form id="25727"] But despite the accolades, her journey has not been without its share of challenges. Joshna joins me on The Nourishing Workplace to discuss everything from how better food in hospitals leads to a better health system and more sustainable food culture to the changes she makes when she takes over an institution’s kitchen, and much more. Show Notes A shortlist of articles and resources mentioned in this episode plus further resources: WATCH: Joshna talks about the elderly Chinese patient, whom I refer to during the episode (TVO) Joshna's upcoming book, Take Back The Tray FURTHER READ: A great example of a school cafe

These days, everyone is hungry for more advice and guidance, especially about finding ways to get to their optimal weight, improve their work productivity, or eat mindfully. This podcast clocks in at around 47 minutes. You can also listen to it on Apple Podcasts, stream it on Google Podcasts or Spotify or grab the RSS feed in your player of choice. So, head out for a walk in nature and let Kate and I keep you company. As I've discussed many times before, one of the biggest inhibitors to nutrition and wellness is in the workplace. Work for most people is stressful and mentally taxing––schedules can change in the last minute, and coworkers inevitably influence behavior. Most of us are creatures of habit with daily routines centered around work demands. However, these factors make the workplace a great opportunity to improve our intentional nutrition game. Today’s guest on the podcast, Kate Cook says: “Nowadays, lots of people are quite knowledgeable and savvy in terms of their nutrition. The problem is that many are massively missing the point and choose to get on the bandwagon with the latest diet instead of getting down to the fundamentals.” Kate Cook Let's break this down. Kate Cook's Approach to Nutrition With nearly 20 years of experience, Kate knows a thing or two about nutrition. She is one of the UK’s leading wellness and nutrition experts, an international speaker, and accomplished author of seven books. Kate Cook: one of the UK's leading wellness and nutrition experts. Some of Kate's titles are ‘Get Healthy for Good’, ‘Drop a Dress Size’ and the most recent ‘Positive Nutrition - Strategic Eating to Upgrade Your Health and Energy.’ Besides seeing clients privately (Kate has seen well over 8,500 patients one to one), she works with corporations by giving talks and workshops that empower their staff to adopt healthier lifestyles. She also has written columns for Marie-Claire, Men’s Health, and many other magazines. She is currently doing an MA in Anthropology of Food at SOAS, London University.  [mc4wp_form id="25727"] Kate joins me on The Nourishing Workplace to discuss everything from why there is so much confusion around the term healthy eating and lifestyle, what the issues with the latest food trends, fads, and tribalism are, and what it takes to create a balanced and well-maintained diet that will aid in our professional and personal lives. Much like me, Kate’s interests are broad and cross over food into trends, agriculture, the food system, and the evolution of work culture. As you can probably feel from our conversation, Kate and I could go on and on and chat for hours. Key Take-aways Short on time? Here are four quick takeaways: How we are working is not working. We need to look at structural problems, which gives a clear indication o

The coffee break is usually the first and the most common experience of food in the workplace—at least for us in Western countries. What can you do to make it special? This podcast clocks in at around 44 minutes. You can also listen to it on iTunes, stream on Google Podcasts or Spotify or grab the RSS feed in your player of choice. So head out for a walk and let Francesco and I keep you company. However, coffee is not just a product. It’s not just the dark golden liquid that we drink to get us going in the morning, or sip on–the–go from one meeting to the next. Coffee is an experience. A ritual. The coffee break is a moment that the most forward-thinking employers encourage as a way to bring their people together around the coffee machine. But that the least forward-thinking ones still dismiss as a waste of time. This episode kicks off a mini-series of four episodes that are entirely dedicated to what we eat and drink at work as we continue to explore what happens when organizations challenge the prevailing idea that food culture is irrelevant or marginal to business success. Today we start off with coffee. Not just any regular coffee. But specialty coffee. Bringing the coffee experience into the workplace To discuss coffee I've invited a friend. Francesco Impallomeni is a fellow Italian, born and bred in Italy and now based in Copenhagen. I met and sipped coffee with when I was still living and working between Copenhagen and Helsinki. Francesco Impallomeni Francesco is an Italian specialty coffee roaster, trainer, educator, and co-founder of Nordhavn Coffee Roasters (NCR), a micro coffee roastery. With an academic background in Politics and Economics, he studied the challenges related to agricultural development in the Global South. In 2009 he was introduced to food project management by Slow Food organization where, among other things, he fell in love with coffee and his wife. With both these passions, he moved to Copenhagen wherein 2015 he co-founded his roastery.  Today, NCR sources, roasts, and disseminates specialty coffee culture among ordinary consumers (including a few coffee nerds) and businesses such as offices, retail, and canteens where workers can enjoy a cup of specialty coffee during their coffee breaks. Francesco joins me on The Nourishing Workplace to discuss everything from what specialty coffee is to why educating the consumer helps to improve the quality of life of everyone involved with coffee at different stages of the supply chain and how to practically improve your coffee break at work. [mc4wp_form id="25727"] Key Take-aways Short on time? Here are four quick takeaways: The term ‘specialty coffee’ was first coined by Erna Knutsen, of Knutsen

Love it or loathe it, in December most organizations throw a holiday office party to celebrate the end of the year. How do you hold one that reflects your values, culture, and diversity within your team? This podcast clocks in at around 28 minutes. You can also listen to it on iTunes, stream on Google Podcasts or Spotify or grab the RSS feed in your player of choice. So head out for a walk and let me keep you company. Let's be honest; if many employees look forward to it to celebrate the year's successes and spend time with colleagues in a casual way, other staff might feel stressed, anxious, and peer-pressured. People with dietary restrictions or unable to attend social events in the evening or late at night might feel like they are not being considered. But not attending doesn't seem an option either. A common concern is: "Will people talk about me if I'm not there?" "Will people talk about me if I'm not there?" So how do you throw an office party that includes everybody? Of course, planning an office party is an exciting project, and you want it to be a positive experience for everybody. But you can’t please everybody. While most employees will appreciate your inclusivity efforts, others—who don't want any change within their established traditions—might hinder your suggestions. If you’re a manager, a people operation, a member of the event committee, or the person who is in charge of organizing the office parties in your company, this episode—my first solo episode—is for you! Today, I dive into my eight tips for keeping your office holiday party and celebration inclusive, diverse, nourishing, and (most of all) enjoyable for everybody. Key Take-aways Short on time? Here are my eight tips on planning an inclusive, diverse, and nourishing office party: Start and focus on people Avoid any assumptions Step into your power as a host and lead by example Enjoy it responsibly. Don't make it about alcohol Think about other events you could celebrate throughout the year Serve something for everybody. Keep in mind dietary restrictions Buy consciously and support your local community Enjoy yourself Find these tips useful? Have more tips to share? Tag your thoughts #thenourishingworkplacepod for a chance to be featured. Show Notes A shortlist of articles and resources mentioned in this episode plus further resources: Knoll's Jenny West – How to Infuse Hospitality in Your Workplace mentioned in Tip 1 (ep03 of The Nourishing Workplace) Rei Chou – How to Create Intentional Space for Presence and Connection mentioned in Tip 3 (

How does a company achieve the desired workplace hospitality experience that their workforce is expecting while optimizing space and resources? This podcast clocks in at around 46 minutes. You can also listen to it on Apple Podcasts, stream on Google Podcasts or Spotify or grab the RSS feed in your player of choice. So head out for a walk and let Jenny and I keep you company. Imagine: you’re walking into your workplace to start your workday. Take a moment to stop and look around. What are people doing? Are they working? Or, are they chatting about what activities they did over the weekend? Are they drinking a cup of coffee? Chances are, it’s all of the above. And chances are, you wouldn’t expect anything else. Socializing with fellow employees helps you feel like you are part of a community. And progressive companies know that making their workplaces community-oriented improves not only their employee experience but also boosts their employer brand. How to create spaces for connection and interaction, perhaps in front of a cup of coffee? The new approach to hospitality in the workplace takes inspiration from hotels, coffee shops, coworking spaces, and yoga studios and has shifted from a single coffee machine in the reception to broad, fluid, and purposeful experiences for both residents and visitors. At the same time, office spaces are becoming smaller and smaller, workstyles are changing, and Millennials and Generation Z want different things than older generations. Today, the workplace is a complex ecosystem that requires flexibility and adaptation. [mc4wp_form id="25739"] As a Transformation Leader at Knoll, a design firm that produces office systems, furniture, and accessories for the office, Jenny West helps her clients, Fortune 500 companies, navigate change and shape their work environments by integrating strategy, vision, and the latest trends and research in workplace design, employment, and workstyles. She is a licensed commercial interior designer, LEED professional, Fitwel Ambassador, and change management practitioner whose expertise is to inspire organizations to reimagine the norm. Jenny West, Transformation Leader at Knoll Jenny joined me on The Nourishing Workplace this week, where we discussed everything from how to design a human-centered workplace to how to bring cafeterias and ‘third places’ at the forefront of your company culture. Key Take-aways Short on time? Here are four quick takeaways: With a human-centered workplace strategy, projects are delivered so that they’re both beautiful and focused on people’s experiences. People are brought along in the journey and constantly involved in the conversation on how, for example, the new amenities or workplace plans

When it comes to create intentional space for people to connect, listen, and reflect deeply, many people think it's the realm of facilitators alone. But this is far from being true. This podcast clocks in at around 39 minutes. You can also listen to it on iTunes, stream on Spotify or grab the RSS feed in your player of choice. So head out for a walk and let Rei and I keep you company. Prefer to read the transcripts? Scroll down. When I started hosting this way nearly ten years ago, not many people understood what that meant and how it worked. It is challenging to explain to others what it is if you don't have an experience of it yourself.  Luckily this is changing. Pioneering events, conferences, and companies are starting to bring this format as a better alternative to the old way of doing networking. If you are someone who has gathered or has been gathered intentionally, you probably know that the are many benefits. Coming together with others this way, helps us understand ourselves better, recognize our shared humanity, and form deeper connections. And in turn, we may forge stronger relationships. Not only anyone can learn how to create intentional space for presence and connection, but that's a skill that a modern leader needs to learn and master, especially in an age whereby connecting is needed more than ever. This week on The Nourishing Workplace, I've invited Rei Chou to explain what it means to create intentional space, how to bring people into it, and how to do it over a feast of food. Rei Chou, a pioneer in intentional space creation Rei is a facilitator, healer, and the founder of The Feast, a global community of leaders, innovators, and change-makers and series of dinners creating abundance through authentic sharing and support, who has been featured as one of Fast Company's Most Creative People of 2012.  Her mission is to create experiences that help people realize they’re part of something greater through convening people, experience design, and purpose-based innovation. Rei Chou What I love about this conversation is that Rei suggests a model of hosting as leadership that is cross-cultural. She also provides a model of thinking for redesigning how we currently gather and lead to create intentional space whether for work or play. In particular, you'll enjoy this conversation on intentional space design if: You are a facilitator, gathering designer, community builder or manager needing to refresh your skills You host people and arrange gatherings for fun and want to do it professionally You are planning to gather and engage people more deeply in your team, organization, community, and movement but need some ideas to get started  Key Take-Aways Her journey to build The Feast; from a 'conference of ideas' to international dinner series Why community is important today and why it matters to Rei The role of the host as a serving leader as a key idea for 21st-century management How to create intangible and physica

As a tech company focused on 'hospitality' and 'belonging', I wasn't surprised to find out that Airbnb offers a prime food program for its employees that many tech companies globally use as a reference for their own food program. This podcast clocks in at around 37 minutes. You can also listen to it on iTunes, stream on Spotify or grab the RSS feed in your player of choice. So head out for a walk and let McKenzie and I keep you company. Prefer to read the transcripts? Scroll down. But if food is just a perk—see free lunch and snacks—that more and more organizations are offering, what’s so unique about it that so many tech companies worldwide get inspired by it? Why is there a strategy behind a food program? And how to feed a growing population of employees without breaking the bank? As the Global Food Strategy Manager, McKenzie Phelan is in charge of the food strategy that focuses on employee experience, oversees how the food program is executed in Airbnb's offices globally and makes sure that the program serves up the company’s core values around the globe.  McKenzie Phelan: Global Food Strategy Manager at Airbnb McKenzie joins me in this very first episode of The Nourishing Workplace, where we discussed everything from what it means to create a food program that does much more than “feeding employees” to how to prevent food waste and educate your people about the challenges and threats of the current food system. Key Takeaways Short on time? Here are four quick takeaways: The global food strategy team is a two-person team: McKenzie and her colleague Meghan. Their job is to make sure that the food experience at Airbnb has both continuity and some parity between offices. They focus on three main aspects: 1. Maintaining the ethos of the food program so that food isn’t seen as a utility but as a conduit for culture in the workplace. 2. Refining their sourcing ethos to procure the best food that's been raised and distributed most ethically. 3. Developing waste strategies and engaging Airbnb employees around the topic of food. At the genesis of the Airbnb food program, the food team was fully a part of the company. As the company grew, the food team grew in tandem and became necessary to think about how to reduce the resources for it. That's why the food team was outsourced to Bon Appétit Management. Airbnb's core business is all about hospitality and belonging. Therefore, the food philosophy is embedded in that of the brand. They look strategically for moments where there can be resonance between the Airbnb product and the products of the food team, which is the food. They do so by (re)designing menus and food spaces. McKenzie argues that more companies should take climate consciousness more seriously and integr

It’s official; Welcome to the trailer of my brand-new business show, The Nourishing Workplace. What happens when businesses challenge the prevailing idea that food culture is irrelevant or marginal to business success?  What if how you eat at work could not only have an impact on culture, on emotional wellbeing, and on the quality of life of your employees and colleagues but also on your local community and even on the planet? I'm Veronica Fossa, the first independent workplace eating designer and strategist, the founder of WE Factory, and the host of this brand-new business podcast; The Nourishing Workplace. Join me and my guests on a journey to define what makes a nourishing workplace and learn how to master the art of food, community, and hospitality to create more ‘human’ employee experiences and businesses through the stories and voices of workplace innovators and changemakers. Key Take-Aways: How to shift the focus from food as a perk to food as a component of culture Why I started this podcast (more about my story soon) Who this podcast is for What topics I’m going to explore Plus, extracts from upcoming interviews Season One How Airbnb has Built a Unique Food Program with McKenzie Phelan Keep up with me & The Nourishing Workplace Follow WE Factory on Instagram Tag The Nourishing Workplace as #thenourishingworkplacepod on Instagram when you share quotes, reviews, and your thoughts Enjoyed the Trailer?  If you enjoyed this trailer episode and want to listen to more episodes, remember to subscribe to The Nourishing Workplace on Spotify, Stitcher, or your favorite podcast player and share it with a friend or colleague. Questions? Tips? Want to Sponsor my Podcast? If you have any questions or tips for me or are interested in learning how to become a sponsor, shoot me an email at hello@we-factory.co. I read every email and I'd love to read yours.  Go Deeper For a full experience of The Nourishing Workplace, sign up for my newsletter. You'll get all the new episodes directly in your inbox plus bonuses and early announcements.